Storm Warning
by MessieJo
Summary: What happens when Maddie insists on going to check on Deacon at the cabin in the midst of a powerful summer storm...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Okay, so this is my first Nashville fanfic, so I hope you all like it. The plot line is intended and set to follow the recently released promos/spoiler for the upcoming Dec 4th episode 9: I'm Not Pretending. Hope you all like it and please review and let me know what you think!

**Also, I own nothing. Rights and characters are reserved and belong to ABC and its affiliates...no copyright infringement intended**

**CHAPTER ONE: "Yesterday's Mistakes"**

Rayna was heading down the hallway towards the bedroom when she passed Maddie's room, stopping when she noticed her 14-year-old pacing back and forth worriedly, phone to her ear, and tears streaming down her face. Naturally, she was concerned so she knocked on the open door and went in. "Maddie—honey? Hey, baby girl, what's wrong?" she asked.

Maddie stopped pacing and looked at her. "He's not answering," she said, biting her quivering lip as she lowered the phone, her hand shaking as she stared at it.

"What? Who's not answering, honey?" Rayna asked, confused.

"Deacon," Maddie answered, dialing her phone again and bringing it back up to her ear. "I've been trying to call him for an hour ever since that storm warning on the TV earlier and he won't—he's not picking up," she said, her voice strained and worried…and a bit panicked.

Rayna sighed. "Honey, what are you talking about?" she asked. "Why are you getting so worked up? I'm sure Deacon's just busy and can't answer. He's probably down at the Bluebird with Avery, you know? I'm sure he'll call you back later," she said, reassuringly.

Maddie shook her head. "No, he's not," she said matter-of-factly. "He's up at the cabin. He left yesterday after that whole thing with Dad happened after my open mic performance," she said. "I called him last night and he just said that he had to get away for a while. That he probably wasn't the best influence on me anyhow. **_What_** did you say to him Mom?" she asked, tears in her voice.

Rayna exhaled slowly, considering how to answer. Finally, she sighed and nodded. "I told both Deacon and your father that I didn't feel that neither one of them should be around you right now...at least not until they get their acts together and get over themselves. That fight yesterday—it was completely uncalled for and I'm sorry sweetheart, but I refuse to subject either you or your sister to that kind of behavior. It's unhealthy," she said, stating her position on the subject.

Maddie's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "You told him to stay away?" she asked. "How could you? Why would you do that?!" she demanded, angry tears streaming down her face.

Rayna swallowed hard, and then put her hands on her hips. "Because I'm your Mama, that's why," she answered. "It's my job to protect you, whether you necessarily like it or not. I'm sorry you're upset honey, but—"

"Sorry? You're sorry?" Maddie interjected. "Like you're sorry for lying to me my whole life about who my real father is? Deacon's already missed out on 14 years of my life, because of **you**. How much more of my life are you going to steal from us?!" she asked, hostility in her voice.

Rayna's eyes widened. "Excuse me? What did you just say to me? I don't appreciate your tone or your attitude, young lady," she said.

Maddie ignored her and threw up her arms. "Now what's gonna happen? What if this ruins everything? What if he decides he doesn't want anything to do with me now—if getting to know me is more trouble than it's worth, you know? What's going to happen now?" she asked quietly, her voice breaking on a sob as she turned away and cried.

The anger dissipated as Rayna's heart broke while she stood there and watched her little girl cover her face with her hands and sob, her backed turned to her but her pain still so very apparent. She cursed herself for not thinking about what her actions might mean for Maddie or the hurt that they might or would cause…then and now...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: First off, thanks for the encouraging reviews and all of you who are now following this story…hope I don't let you down as I continue. Y'all let me know if I'm dragging this out too much. I promise they'll be some Deacon/Rayna fluff at some point, so no worries for all you Deyna fans out there. I just thought I'd write in some Rayna/Maddie mother/daughter buildup since the show hasn't really put in a lot of its own Maddie/Rayna time until recently, so I hope that's okay. That said, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it! J

Also, for the purposes of this story and the _Nashville_ show premise, I'm going to refer to Tennessee Interstate 65 as **Highway** **65**.

**Again, I own nothing. Rights and characters are reserved and belong to ABC and its affiliates...no copyright infringement intended**

**CHAPTER TWO: "CONTEMPLATED DRIVE"**

Rayna cursed her stupidity inwardly as she turned the wipers on a higher speed—not for the first time since they'd left the house an hour earlier, bound for Deacon's cabin. It'd been raining steadily since they'd hit Highway 65 and started north, and hadn't let it any since. In fact, it'd only gotten worse. Visibility was at about 50 percent, at best…and if there was one thing Rayna abhorred doing—it was driving in the rain. This, of course, didn't help her mood right then. But this wasn't for her, she reminded herself even as she snuck a glance beside her to where Maddie sat in the passenger seat. Her eyes were closed and she had her head leaning against the glass of the window, sound asleep. _It's for her. _That's what she told herself, then sighed, turning her attention back to the road...praying that the weather cleared up soon and resuming her focus on NOT hydroplaning. And so with that thought in mind, she went back to the exchange between Maddie and herself that hour ago prior.

(Earlier)

_ Rayna sighed softly as she crossed the room to a still-sobbing Maddie, wrapping her arms around her. "C'mere sweetheart," she said, enveloping her sweet girl. "It'll be okay," she softly promised. She was genuinely surprised when instead of pushing her away, she clung—her arms wrapped tightly around—to Rayna. After a few minutes of Rayna's gentle consoling and transferred comfort, Maddie dropped her arms and pulled back, looking up at Rayna._

_ The pain in her eyes and vulnerability in her features were not only obvious, but also her near-undoing. She hated to see her little girl so upset and hurt and so seemingly broken. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the tears and to take away the pain for her. She was her daughter, yes. But it also wasn't her fault. It was hers…and in certain ways…it was Deacon's as well. The decisions they'd made and their actions 14 years before—albeit made with purest of intentions—were now affecting and hurting the one she'd hoped and tried exactly to __**NOT**__ hurt with those decisions. And it was __**THAT**__ irony frustrated the hell of her, considering all that had accomplished for her until then was to make it worse. Meaning all those good intentions were for naught, seeing how there wasn't a damn thing she could do to help her or to fix it. All she could do was to stand there and just watch it happen…to watch her hurt. And as a mother, it completely broke her heart._

_ "What's going to happen?" Maddie asked, her voice quivering. "What if he hates me now?" she asked, another tear sliding down her face._

_ Rayna looked down at her and saw the turmoil and the tortured look that Maddie was struggling with. Her expression softened and she gave Maddie a little smile. "Oh honey, nothing's going to happen. It'll be okay, I promise. And Deacon loves you. He always has. Your sister, too. That's never going to change," she said with gentle, genuine assurance._

_ Maddie nodded, biting her lip. "O-Okay, but I-I'm scared, Mom," she admitted._

_ "What do you mean, sweetheart?" Rayna asked, her voice laced with both uncertainty and concern. "Scared of what?"_

_ "This storm. Deacon's at his cabin and they showed on the TV that it's that area that's going to get hit the worst. Deacon's phone is off and he doesn't have a computer or anything. He might not even know how bad it's going to get," she explained. "I mean, what if the power goes off or something happens? I'm really worried," she said._

_ Rayna nodded. "I know you are honey, but I'm sure Deacon's just fine. He's a big boy. Trust me, he can take care of himself. He knows what to do. He's been through dozens of storms like this…both home and at his cabin. He'll be fine. Don't worry," she said knowingly._

_ Maddie shook her head still not all that convinced. Or reassured, for that matter. "But what if he's not? What if something happens? Please, Mom…please can we just go up there and make sure? Please?" Maddie pleaded._

_ "Maddie, honey...I don't think so. I mean, if the storm is as bad as you say, then us driving into it would just be plain crazy. You know that," she said, rationalizing the situation._

_ "I don't care," was her reply. "I just want to make sure. Please? It's __**Deacon**__, Mom. He'd do it for us," she pointed out._

_ At those words, Rayna just looked down at her and felt tortured by the suggestion…primarily since she knew Maddie was probably right. Knowing Deacon—which she did, very well in fact—he'd run through fire for Maddie and Daphne. And if memory served her right, for her as well. He always had. It was one of the most endearing things that she knew she could count on…and loved him for. He had his moments and his faults and he was greatly flawed, but beneath those rough surfaces, he was a good man. Truly._

_ Against her better judgment and the pleading look in her daughter's eyes that she couldn't ignore, she finally nodded. "Alright. If you really want to go, we'll go. But if the storm gets too bad, we're turning around and coming back home, understand?" she asked._

_ Maddie's eyes lit and she nodded anxiously. "Got it. Thanks Mom!" she said, launching herself at Rayna and hugging her briefly before running off. "I'll get my boots!" she yelled over her shoulder as she ran into her closet._

_(_Present)

Rayna cursed quietly at the rain that was joined intermittently by hail, calling herself all kinds of stupid for agreeing to the drive. When she was done berating herself, she then cursed Deacon for putting her in that situation. Granted, he'd had reason to get mad after their last conversation that had also included Teddy…when she told them she didn't want either of them around Maddie for the time being. Naturally, Deacon hadn't been too happy, considering he was just starting to get to know Maddie as his daughter and all—but she'd had to think of Maddie's well-being before that of Deacon's. The way she saw it, both he and Teddy needed to grow the hell up and get over themselves. All that water under the bridge and so forth. They didn't have to be friends, but they didn't have to be enemies either. At least not in the middle of the street in town in front of Maddie herself. It was childish and if they couldn't see that—then she didn't want them around her daughter. Angry or not, he didn't have to go running off to that cabin of his…in the middle of a damn storm, of all times.

Listening to the constant pattering of the rain hitting the windows and the swoosh of the wipers, Rayna glanced at one of the mile markers that she could see, figuring she had about another hour and a half or so to get to the cabin. Sitting there behind the wheel, she seriously contemplated turning around and heading back to the house. It wasn't just the weather or the storm. Some of her hesitation had to do with what they'd find once they got to the cabin. Chances are it was nothing and Deacon's phone had died or the power was off…something simple like that. But there was also a chance that he'd fallen off the wagon again…as he tended to do when things got hard in his life. As badly as she wanted to believe that he wouldn't throw away all these past months of sobriety he'd worked so hard for, she knew it was a very real possibility. That said, she really didn't relish the chance of showing up at the cabin and she and Maddie finding him passed out in some drunken stupor. She'd seen one too many of those in the past and could do without seeing another. And she certainly didn't want Maddie to see that. Ever. As doubt crept in, she weighed the options. Just before deciding, she stole another glance over at a still-sleeping Maddie. While she had only to turn around and tell Maddie that the weather was just too much for her to drive in when they returned home…for some reason, she couldn't. _Was it possibly because she too wanted to know if he was alright? _She asked herself. Dismissing the thought, she turned the radio on low to fill the silence as she continued North…


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, thank you so much for the reviews and follows. I'm having such a great time writing this and your encouragement makes it even better! There's a little twist coming up in this that I think you all will enjoy, so keep reading! **

**I'm going to give you guys Chapter 3 and may be a few days before I can post Chapter 4, as my sister is having twin boys today-so I'll be on a little hiatus this week. But when I get back, I'll try and post 4 & 5 for you guys! Thanks and please review!**

**CHAPTER THREE: "FLASH FLOOD"**

"Finally," Rayna muttered a curse under her breath as she turned onto the isolated, narrow dirt road that led to Deacon's cabin, stretching for roughly 2 or 3 miles further. Normally, calling it a road would be a stretch—even in the greatest weather. But with all the rain coming down from the storm, it looked more like a mud path. The sides on either side appeared to have eroded quite badly and there were small sections that had already washed away. She was tired and exhausted from driving, mostly due in part to the drive that normally only takes an hour or two, took nearly 3 ½ instead. The poor condition of the road only succeeded in whetting her frustration further.

She cursed again as she leaned forward in the seat to see better out the windshield and gripped the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles turned while. The 4-wheel-drive function already enabled, she slowly drove forward, When one of the tires started to slip in the mud, she swore impulsively—loud enough to wake up Maddie, who sat up quickly, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her hands, then looked first at Rayna and then out the window, then back to Rayna—eyes wide. "Whoa. Th-that doesn't look good, Mom," she pointed out. "Where are we even?" she asked.

Rayna sighed, not taking her eyes off the path for even a second. "We're almost to the cabin," she answered. "Just a couple miles further down this road and then we'll be there," she said. "Don't worry."

"Um, but Mom—" Maddie started, her voice laced with uncertainty. "Mom—the road's all mud. Some of it's not even there. Should we really be driving down this?" she asked.

Rayna shook her head. "Probably not, but I just drove 3 ½ hours to get here. There's no way I'm letting a little mud intimidate me into turning around," she said, smiling a little as she turned to Maddie. Maddie smiled back momentarily before the smile disappeared and her eyes went wide. She raised her hand and pointed out the windshield. "Mom! Watch out!" she yelled.

Rayna turned back to the road in time to see the flood of fast-moving, muddy water rush down from the side bank across the road right in front of them. Maddie shrieked from the passenger seat as Rayna instinctively slammed on the brakes. The act caused a low squealing pitch noise to be heard just as the back tires lost traction and the late-model Range Rover fishtailed around in the mud, bringing the vehicle right into the path of the rushing water. Seconds later, Rayna finally understood why they warned people of flash-flood waters and cautioned them of the dangers of being caught up in any while driving—as the swift current sent the vehicle careening into the wide side-ditch several feet further up the road—doing so at an angle that literally caused the SUV to overturn and flip onto the driver's side, sliding further down the steep, muddy embankment before coming to a rest.

When it was over, she immediately looked over to check on Maddie. "Oh my God, honey are you okay?" she asked. Maddie nodded. Tears streamed down her pale face and she looked terrified as hell, but otherwise appeared unhurt.

Rayna nodded, sighing with relief as she looked around, trying to get her bearings back so she could get them both of them out of there. From what she could see out the windshield, there didn't appear to be a lot of flood-water on the floor of the embankment they were in to worry about right then, but she sure as hell wasn't going to stick around and wait until there was. She took a moment to consider their best escape route, considering they definitely weren't getting out through her side any time soon. She didn't necessarily relish the thought of going out Maddie's side though either despite her side being unobstructed, facing upwards. While it appeared to be the most accessible option, she didn't want to risk it. God only knew how stable the vehicle was in the position where it lay right then on its side. The last thing she wanted or needed, for that matter, was to have the movement and additional weight on the one side cause the vehicle to shift further or worse, start to tip towards the passenger side instead. And since she doubted she could kick out the windshield herself—it seemed their only remaining option was to crawl out the hatch back.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves before turning back to Maddie. "This is what we're going to do, sweetie," she began. "We're going to have to go out the back, okay?" Maddie nervously bit down on her lip, clearly scared and uncertain, but eventually nodded.

Rayna gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay then," she agreed. "First, I'm going to undo your seatbelt, so I'm gonna need you to brace yourself against the dash with your feet and hold on to your door handle or else you're gonna slide," she said. "Kind of like that spinning ride you and your sister like to go on at the fair."

Maddie gave her a slight smile. "It's called the "Scrambler", Mom," she said. "Daph always squishes me on that," she added.

Rayna laughed. "Exactly. Okay, so here we go, I'm gonna unbuckle you," she said, reaching over and pressing the release button on belt. Once she did, Maddie started to slide a little…but braced herself a second later like Rayna had instructed her to. "Great job, sweetie. Now give me a second, I'm going to unbuckle myself, then I'm gonna help you slide down here so you can climb over the console." Once they got that far, she had Maddie climb over the middle console and crawl towards the back. While she followed suit, Maddie managed to open the upper window section of the hatch. Slowly and painstakingly, Rayna made her way out first, then assisted Maddie with climbing through—the whole time holding her breath and hoping the car stayed where it was just a few moments longer, at least until they were out of harm's way. Which luckily and thankfully, it did. Once out, Rayna gave an indicative nod towards the road. "Go ahead and try to get up there, Maddie. I'll be right behind you," she promised. Maddie lingered a moment, a look of worry and uncertainty in her eyes, then did as she was asked, making her way up the slippery and muddy slope to the road. Before she followed suit and did the same, she reached back in through the window, pulling out the small duffel bag she'd brought with them, just in case they'd had to go to a hotel for the night, after they'd checked on Deacon, rather than driving all the way back in the unrelenting storm. It wasn't much, just a change of clothes for Maddie, some basic toiletries, her cell and charger, and a small purse with some cash and her cards that she'd tucked neatly inside. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she closed the hatch window and started away from the vehicle.

She shifted the bag strap diagonally across her body, with the bag itself behind her…and made the mistake of looking down at her feet. Her favorite boots were now ankle-deep in what she could only describe as swampy muck _stuff_. "Ugh," she said with distaste as she started up the muddy slope towards a waiting Maddie. Unlike Maddie, she had some difficulty in getting up there. Twice, she slipped and came thisclose to finding herself sitting on her behind in that _muck_. On her third attempt, she lost her footing and instinctively reached out for something to grab hold of as she felt herself falling. She gasped and swore harshly a moment later when the jagged edge of a rooted-rock cut her palm as she closed her hand around it to stop the fall. Gritting her teeth at the unexpected and sharp pain, she used the frustration to continue the upward climb. She made it that time, with Maddie grabbing her hand at the top to help her up.

Hurt and incensed by the whole frustrating situation, she swore out loud. She saw Maddie's eyes go wide with shock at the harsh expletive her usually calm and collected mother had just uttered…but was smart enough not to say anything right then. She hesitated a moment then cautiously asked "Are you okay, Mom?"

Rayna followed Maddie's worried gaze down to the hand she'd scraped on her way up the embankment. It was dark and she was covered in too much mud to get a good look at the injury so she just nodded, shrugging. She could flex her hand—albeit with a stinging, burning pain—but concluded that it was probably nothing. "I'm okay, baby girl," Rayna said with a reassuring, small smile. "What about you? Are you okay?" she asked, slipping naturally in her mother-mode as she assessed Maddie up and down for any visible injuries.

"Mom, I'm fine," she said, then gestured down at the tipped vehicle. "But the car's not. What are we going to do?" she asked.

"With the car? Nothing, sweetie. It's fine, don't worry. I'll just call a tow when we get to Deacon's cabin. There's not going to be any cell coverage here with all the tree cover. The cabin's about a mile or so ahead and it's in a clearing...so hopefully we'll have more luck there. So we're walking," she said, linking her arm with Maddie's as they headed in the direction of the cabin. Maddie began talking about how Daphne wasn't going to believe it about the car when she told her…and Rayna half-listening, half-plotting ideas on what she was going to do to Deacon when they got there-none of them falling into the "nice" category if the entire trip turned out to be a waste of time simply for the fact that he'd forgotten to charge his phone or had turned it off.

Either way, she was certain they were about to find out...


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long absence these past couple of weeks. My sister just had her baby twins, so I've been pretty busy these days helping her settle in. Thanks for all the patience and reviews. Now that I'm back, here's the fourth chapter. It's a short chapter, but Chapter 5 will be far more packed. Hope you like it! Enjoy and please review! Thank you! J and Merry Christmas everyone!**

**CHAPTER FOUR: "FALLEN THROUGH"**

Maddie shut her mouth, falling silent. She'd been chattering away since they'd walked away from the overturned truck in the ditch. Not that Rayna had noticed. She'd been too distracted to follow along with Maddie's conversation. It didn't help that she was cold and wet and exhausted and covered in mud. To make it worse, she'd had a pounding headache since they'd begun walking and her hand was throbbing. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower and a bed to fall into right at that moment. Though not necessarily in that order. But more than anything, she wanted to strangle Deacon for putting them in this mess. If it wasn't for him…

"Mom—Mom?!" Maddie's voice interrupted Rayna's thoughts. She turned to her, acknowledging her.

"What baby?" she asked.

Maddie held out her hand pointed ahead with her finger. "The cabin. That's Deacon's truck," she said. Following her direction, she confirmed both statements herself. Relief coursed through her and she nodded.

"We're here," she said in agreement as they continued forward. As they reached the wrap-around porch, walking to the door, she glanced through the windows. There were no lights so she couldn't see anything. Reaching the door, she raised her hand and knocked, then looked down at Maddie as they waited. Less than a minute later, Rayna raised her hand again, impatiently knocking harder on the door. "He probably can't hear with the storm," she explained. Stepping back, they waited again.

Seconds later, they heard the sound of the locks being undone, then the door open moments later, Deacon filling the doorway. Rayna saw his eyes go wide as she made a quick assessment of him. As far as she could tell, he looked none the worse for wear. He had beads of sweat on his forehead, his flannel shirt was rolled up to his elbows, and he had mud splattered on both his shirt and the front of his jeans.

"What the—Rayna? Maddie? What are you guys doing here?" he asked after getting over his initial shock, his eyes questioning as his gaze spanned back and forth between them.

Rayna would have spoken, but Maddie took it upon herself to answer. "We wanted to make sure you were okay," was her reply. "They said on the TV that this area was getting the worst of the storm the worst and I couldn't get ahold you. I tried calling a million times," she informed him.

Rayna heard him curse under his breath as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen was badly cracked. And muddy as well. "Damn it," he said as he held it out for their purview. "Sorry. It got smashed when I was trying to fix the generator," he said. "You guys didn't need to drive all the way up here because of that though," he said.

Maddie shrugged. "We were worried," she said.

He smiled down at her. "That's okay," he said. "I really appreciate that sweetheart." He turned to Rayna next. "Um, thanks," he added softly. She just nodded and shrugged her shoulders. And speaking of her shoulders, it was only then that he noticed all the mud that was splattered on her clothing, and Maddie's, too. He narrowed his eyes as he peered over Rayna's shoulder, his eyes furrowing with perplexed questioning and curiosity. "Uh, where's your car?" he asked, looking back at Rayna. "How did you guys get here?"

"Well, " she started, "That's kind of why we're here. We had a little accident on the road back there."

His eyes went wide, than narrowed down to slits again. "What exactly do you mean by "little"," he asked.

She glanced at Maddie so she didn't have to look in his eyes and answer that. "It's nothing," he said. "It's not a big deal. The hillside must be having a lot of erosion since the road is pretty much washed out. We just happened to got caught up a bit of a flash flood," she said. "But it's nothing, just went off the road a little bit."

Maddie scoffed at that, causing them both to turn and look at her. She gave her mother a look. "Mom, c'mon, it was more than that." She looked up at Deacon. "We flipped into a ditch and had to literally crawl out through the back."

Deacon's stomach fell at that. And again, she heard him curse under his breath. "God, I'm so sorry. Are you both okay?" he asked, genuinely sympathetic…And worried.

"We're okay," Maddie answered for the both of them.. "Mom just cut her hand on a rock as she was climbing up, but that's about it," she said.

At that, he turned to Rayna. "Is that true, Ray?" he asked her. "Show me," he said, indicating he wanted to see her hand.

"It's nothing," she said, her tone deflective and defensive. "Just humor me, would you? Let me see."

She sighed then held it out to him, turning it so it was palm-side up. She gasped then, seeing it for the first time by herself. What she expected to see was a nasty cut, but rather, it was gaping gash that the bleeding steadily. Still.

"Rayna, you call this little?" he asked, sarcastically. "Damn it, you two get in here. I've got to take care of that hand before you catch an infection or something," he said, stepping back to allow them though…


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**** Hope everyone had a great holiday! Here's the new chapter...glad you all are liking this fic. I'm having a great time writing it. After all that buildup, I figured everyone could use a little "RAYNA/DEACON" fluff. :) Chapter Six coming soon! All comments and reviews are welcome! Thanks! (Disclaimer: **NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED**)**

**CHAPTER FIVE: "MEMORY LANE SERENADE" **

Rayna avoided Deacon's eyes as she followed Maddie inside the cabin. She'd been so focused on her frustration with the whole Teddy/Deacon/Maddie situation and with the storm on the drive there that she hadn't even so much as considered the memory lane onslaught she was walking into. She subconsciously and without even realizing it, held her breath as she stepped over the threshold. She stopped a few feet ahead and just stood there. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he hadn't changed anything about the place. It still looked almost exactly the same as it had since the last time she'd been there, nearly 14 years before. The furniture was a little more modern, save for one piece: the big, brown leather sofa where they'd made love and fell asleep in each other's arms so many times. The same sofa she'd been sitting on when he'd knelt down on one knee in front of her with a ring and asked her to marry him, then had kissed her back against until they were breathless when she'd said yes.

Vivid images formed in front of her eyes as her gaze traveled slowly from the sofa to the large, plush bear rug in front of the blazing fireplace where they'd eventually ended up after hours of lovemaking that night. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she had flash backs from that night. It wasn't until months later when she'd found out she was pregnant with Maddie that she put it all together and realized that she and Deacon had conceived Maddie there that night. She knew in her heart that it was true.

She hadn't stepped foot inside the place since the morning after that night when she'd awoken alone in rustic king-sized bed, the place where Deacon had slept already cold to her touch. The hurt came back, some of it as raw as it had been that morning, when she recalled finding him passed out on that sofa, a near-empty bottle of Scotch lying on its' side on the coffee table, well within his reach. She could still remember the pain and the bile in her throat when she realized he had no memory of proposing to her the night before. She'd thrown the ring to the floor, tears streaming down her face as she turned away, leaving him scrambling to grab for it. He'd gone after her, of course, pleading with and apologizing and begging her to stay-to give him a chance to redeem himself-as she grabbed her things and started to leave. But in that moment she'd felt too defeated and too broken to do anything but shake her head no as she climbed into her car. She could still see the remorse in his teary-eyes and the stricken expression on his unshaven face as she met his eyes and told him with a shaky voice that she couldn't do it anymore and then said goodbye. He must have realized that she truly meant it because he nodded and stepped back, setting his jaw and swallowing hard as she put the car in drive and drove away, never looking back.

She'd gone back only once after that day, with her sister Tandy. She'd gone to the doctors the week before and her pregnancy had been confirmed. Though scientifically there was technically the chance that the baby could have been Teddy's, she knew in her heart that it was Deacon's. She couldn't explain it. She just knew. There was no doubt in her mind then that she had to tell Deacon, that he had a right to know that it was very likely that she was carrying his baby. It wasn't until after she'd gone to Coleman—Deacon's AA sponsor and a long-time friend of the Wyatt family—and talked to him that she even considered the idea of keeping it from and not telling Deacon. She learned from talking to Coleman that afternoon that Deacon had just gotten out of rehab only days earlier—his 4th stay and attempt at sobriety—and she allowed Coleman to convince her that for the sake of Deacon's health and sobriety and the sake of the child she was carrying, that it was best if Deacon didn't know. Her complacency with that decision lasted not even a week and she caved in. Though Tandy wasn't too happy about the change of mind, she insisted that Rayna at least let her drive her to Deacon's cabin—for Tandy's own supposed "piece of mind", she had explained. The nervous wreck that Rayna was at that moment, she agreed to the arrangement and had let Tandy tag along.

When they got to Deacon's cabin, they saw his old beat-up Chevy parked outside. They'd barely taken 2 steps across the wrap-around porch when they heard the loud cursing, followed by the sound of glass shattering, and more loud cursing. Peering through a window, they saw Deacon pacing around the space, throwing everything and anything breakable that he could find against the walls or to the floor. The place was trashed. He was a mess, his hair unkempt and face unshaven—for several days, it appeared from the looks of him. And in his right hand was the devil behind it all—a bottle of his favorite band of Scotch. Even in all that anger, she could see through to the pain behind it all. If it weren't for Tandy physically holding her back, she'd have raced inside and would have tried to talk him down and help him—as she'd done countless times in the past. She'd struggled to get free from Tandy, but Tandy was firm and insisted they leave and give him time to cool down before she said anything to him. She hadn't wanted to leave, but Tandy had pointed out to her in no uncertain terms that it wasn't about what SHE wanted anymore—therein reminding her that it was about her safety and what was best for the baby she was carrying…and an angry drunk did not fit with that at all. Her heart breaking, she willed herself to accept that Tandy was right and though it nearly killed her to do so, she walked away. They left and for a second time…she didn't look back.

That day through the window was the last time she saw Deacon until Maddie was about 6 months old. By that point, she and Teddy were already married and had bought a house in Belle Meade. Though most women would have given anything for the seemingly grand fairy-tale lifestyle—staying home with the baby, not having to work…but not Rayna. As dearly as she loved her baby girl and as grateful as she was to be afforded the opportunity to have those luxuries...it just wasn't enough. Not for her…Miss Rayna Jaymes, Queen of Country of Music. But then, for her, music wasn't work. It was what she loved to do. It was her passion. It was who and what she was. Without it, there'd always be that emptiness—that void that would always remain unfilled. So after months of discussions between her and Teddy, a hell of a lot hard work on her end and others, care planning and fine-print decision-making, and a giant leap of faith…Rayna James hit the road for the tour beat, and returned to the stage…infant in tow.

Even as she recalled those long-ago memories, she couldn't help but smile a little. Even at 6 months, Maddie took to life on the road like a baby duckling to water. After the initial first few weeks of adjusting to the hectic environment, Maddie was well-adjusted to the new routine and happy as a clam. Rayna felt like the luckiest woman on the planet…having the ability to perform to sold-out arenas in front of thousands of screaming, dedicated fans—to do what she loved—and still be able to kiss her baby girl goodnight every night. She had the best of both worlds. Not many people could say that. She was lucky. She knew it, and never let herself forget it. Or take it for granted. It was amazing. And every day, she truly felt humbled by it.

Even at just 6 months, Maddie loved it all. She was a great baby, rarely cried, and was always smiling. She was a happy, content baby. She was an angel. Everyone loved her and doted on her…from the crew to the band all the way to the top music execs. She was surrounded by a slew of rough, cowboy-hat-wearing men—all of whom she had wrapped around her little finger from the moment they first laid eyes on her. Most nights on the tour bus, the guys would take turns singing her little bedtime ditties, strumming softly along on their guitars until Maddie fell asleep in the crook of one of their arms or laps. It was sweet and precious and both Rayna and Maddie loved every minute of it.

That's not to say that weren't some hiccups along the way, because there were. Naturally. With Teddy's work at the credit union and the tour, it obviously put a lot of strain on their marriage. It was hard to find a middle ground, but they eventually worked out an arrangement that involved Teddy joining them sometimes when he could get the time off, going home to Nashville on weekends and the lull-time between show-dates, and visits back and forth, here and there. It was the most ideal situation, but they made it work.

That is, until a few months into the tour when Rayna's lead guitarist and band leader's wife killed in a tragic accident, leaving him with the responsibility of raising their two young daughters. His abrupt exit from the band—though understandable and unavoidable—was a jolt to the state of the tour. That far into the tour leg, they knew it would be practically impossible to find a replacement on such short notice. One show was cancelled—more out of respect for the grief of their friend and fellow band member—but it had the label scrambling. There was talks of cancelling the tour altogether and Rayna, naturally, feared the worst.

That is, until her manager Bucky and the guys at the label brought up the idea of Deacon filling in, at least long enough for them to find a more permanent replacement. Rayna had balked at first and Teddy—well, Teddy made no attempt whatsoever to hide or hold, for that matter, back his contempt towards both Deacon and what he so maturely termed "the most asinine, ridiculous idea ever." In the end, it came down to compromise and sacrifice and a lot of good old-fashioned "suck it up and grow up" –ing. They were at a crossroads. If Rayna and Teddy wanted to continue living in their fairy-tale Belle Meade mansion with all the luxuries they'd grown accustomed to, they had no choice but to consider the idea. So consider they did and after the label wrangled Deacon into somehow getting on board, the show—as they say—went on.

It was awkward the first few weeks, more so in the personal aspect than the professional. On the professional side, it went far more smoothly than anyone expected. But then, Deacon and the rest of the band were already familiar with one another and the songs that Rayna sang were ones Deacon had either co-wrote or performed with her in the past when they'd gone on tour together. It was a nice fit. The label was happy, the fans were thrilled, and all was well in the world. At least, while they were on stage. Off the stage, things were a little trickier. As was to be expected, considering the past between Rayna and Deacon…not to mention the fact that while he'd gone off to rehab for the 5th time and had gotten sober, Rayna on the other hand had gone up and married Teddy Conrad and had a baby with the guy. They hadn't spoken to or seen one another since that morning in the cabin after the night he'd proposed—and now, after all that time—they were living in close quarters on a tour bus together. Awkward…the word didn't even cover it. Most of their conversation the first few weeks was clipped and short and strictly professional.

It remained that way until one night in Austin when they found themselves alone together on the tour bus with Maddie. They had a couple of days of downtime so the guys had gone off to drink away the tour tension, thus leaving the three of them behind. That night Maddie had been especially fussy—as she'd been cutting a tooth—and nothing Rayna did could soothe her. Generally, she would have gone out to ask one of the guys to play something for her with the guitar—they were always so accommodating and it worked every time—but they were gone and she was at her wit's end.

Frustrated and exhausted—both from the tour and the whole complicated mess with Deacon—and convinced that she was the worst mother because she couldn't even comfort her child, she'd literally started sobbing alongside Maddie. It definitely had to have been a sight, of that she was certain. She hadn't even heard him knock on the door to the back bedroom suite on the bus or enter, for that matter. It wasn't until she felt a light hand on her shoulder and snapped her up head up only to meet the gaze of the last man she'd expected to see. His expression was troubled, but softened when he saw the misery in her expression and the tears. If there was one thing that would never fail to bring Deacon Claybourne, the man, to his knees it was a woman's tears…and apparently the wailing of a beautiful brown-eyed 8-month-old baby girl…as she learned that night.

"Mind if I give it a go?" he'd asked her, indicating with a nod of head towards his guitar that rested against the open door that she just then had noticed he'd placed there. She hesitated at first, her emotions conflicted as she contemplated Deacon's intentions. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. She knew he'd protect her and Maddie with his life if need be—despite whatever bad blood happened to be between them. It wasn't that. She hesitated because she didn't trust herself—her reaction to seeing Deacon playing music for Maddie, the biological baby girl he didn't even know he'd fathered…the beautiful daughter they'd made out of their love for one another. She was afraid it would tear her to pieces…and she'd run out of band-aids and quick-fix ailment treatments long before that night.

When she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes at her hesitation, she was immediately contrite. Wiping quickly at her wet cheeks with the back of her palm, she nodded. "Yes, please. Th-that—she'd like that," she said, turning Maddie in her lap so she could watch Deacon play. Moments later, Deacon join them on the bed with his guitar. As he began strumming along to and then singing "A Life That's Good", Rayna could sense the change in Maddie almost immediately. The wailing soon subsided into infrequent sobs and she relaxed her small body back against Rayna, her little face watching and listening to Deacon with utter amazement and intent. It was a beautiful thing to witness and a tear or two slid down her face as something flashed in his eyes as he glanced at her for a moment. He half-smiled and continued playing for Maddie. By the end of the song, she had her thumb in her mouth, sucking away contentedly, her blanky clutched in her other hand, and she'd fallen asleep.

Rayna didn't move, she just sat there in awe at what had just transpired. After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "I seriously need to learn to play that damn thing," she said softly, still in disbelief.

He grinned, chuckling softly. "I've been telling you that for years, Ray," he said easily.

"Yeah, I know…" she said in agreement. She sighed as she turned Maddie in her arms and lifted her lay her head against her shoulder. "You're a lifesaver. I owe you one," she said as she stood up to lay Maddie down in the crib next to the bed, patting her bottom and humming softly to soothe her while she adjusted in her sleep. Her eyes opened momentarily, then closed again. After leaning down and kissing her goodnight, she motioned Deacon out of the room. After turning off the light, grabbing the baby monitor, she followed him out of the room, closing the door carefully and quietly behind her. She set the monitor on the counter by the sink in the kitchen area so she could hear if Maddie fussed, then started water for some hot tea. "Want some tea?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder to where Deacon was propped against the closet door a few feet away.

He nodded. "Yeah. With honey and no—"

"And no milk," she finished for him with a nervous smile. "I know."

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you do," he answered. "Sorry." He pushed away from the closet and went to sit down on the lounge sofa that converted to another bed if need be and sat down. She fixed their drinks, shut off the stove, then went to join him. She handed him his mug, then went and sat down on the opposite end across from him, sitting Indian-style as she softly blew into the steaming tea that she had gripped in her hands to cool it down.

They sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes, both of them seemingly at a loss as to what to say. Rayna was the first to break the silence and say something. "I really do appreciate you calming her down like that," she said, gesturing towards the baby monitor.

He nodded and shrugged with indifference. "It was nothing, really. I just remembered that it always worked with Scarlett when she that little. Thought I'd try. And I've seen how much she enjoys it when the other guys play for her, so yeah, it was my pleasure," he said, pausing for a long moment. "She's beautiful Ray," he said softly. "She really is."

Rayna smiled, nodding. "Yeah, she is. Thank you, Deacon."

He smiled back at her. "Just calling it how I see it," he said. "Guess she takes after her Mama in that area," he sweetly said. "I always knew you'd make a great Mama someday, Ray," he complimented her. "And you did." Abruptly, the mood shifted and the smile on his face vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. "I just—" he started, his expression hurt.

Knowing where the conversation was going, she stopped him, telling him no. "Deacon—please don't."

But he continued. "I have to Ray. I have to ask. Why Ray? Why'd you do it? Better yet, HOW could you do it?" he asked.

A tear fell down each cheek as she guiltily looked away, avoiding his gaze. "Deacon, please…can we not do this right now? God, you have no idea what you're asking for and I—it's all just so complicated," she said tearfully.

"Now right now? Then when Rayna? Another year from now? I can't wait that long. I want to know why you did it. I NEED to know why. God, after everything we've been through over the years don't you think I deserve to know the truth? You owe me that much at least," he said.

She bit back a sob. "I had to," she finally answered. "There's so much that you don't understand, Deacon that I can't tell you. I just can't. God, do you even remember how you were then, Deacon?"

He swore under his breath. "Damn it, Rayna of course I remember. But I got sober Rayna. I've been sober for a year now. Because of you. I got sober for you, Rayna."

She nodded. "I know you did and I'm glad for that, but how was I supposed to know the 5th stint in rehab would be the one that took?" she asked him.

"You could have had a little faith in me. You could have waited. God, how long was it Ray, how long did it take you to just throw away everything and go running off to marry Teddy Conrad? Two, maybe 3 weeks? Nice rebound time, Rayna. Hell, I thought were had something. I thought that we loved each other—that we were **IN** love with each other. Were those all lies, too Rayna?"

She flinched at the sharp bite in his tone, all the anger. "How can you even ask me that Deacon? You know they weren't lies. You know damn well that I loved you. Hell, I **still** love you Deacon. That hasn't changed. I always will, I think. But there's only so much a person can take and I—I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't live that way. I refuse to. "

He scoffed at her admission. "What about Teddy Conrad then? You married him. Did you love him too?" he asked.

She sighed. "Yeah, I did…I-I do. I do love him, Deacon. Just…just in a different way. He's a good man Deacon. He treats me right and he cares about me. And he's a great father," she told him.

"He sounds perfect then. Congratulations," he said with disdain.

"Deacon, don't do that. Don't act like I walked out on me. Or act like I didn't try to make it work. I tried to help you, Deacon. How many times did I beg you to get help, Deacon? How many times did I have to drag you out of dive bars and hotel rooms because you were so damn wasted? I wanted you to get sober and to get healthy. And you did. But I don't want you to do it for me. I want you to you do it for yourself. You **NEED** to do it for yourself. I loved you Deacon, I swear to God I did. That always has been and always will be the truth. But I couldn't wait forever for you Deacon. My life didn't stop when you went to rehab. I had to move on. I had to do what I felt was right. I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I'm hurting too. This isn't easy for me either Deacon. None of this is. I still love you, Deacon. I still care. Hell, I miss you so much that it hurts. But I have a family now, Deacon. I have a marriage and a baby and a home. I have responsibilities. We aren't the love-struck teenagers that we were back then. We grew up , Deacon. And I'm sorry, but whether we like it or not, things have changed. Everything's different now."

He nodded in defeat. "Trust me, I'm well aware of that Ray," he said with a sigh. "So what now, Rayna? Where do we go from here? What do you want" he asked her.

She wiped at another tear, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet. I just….I want you to be happy Deacon. I want to do right by you. As for this tour, I'd like you to stay…if you want to. Music is still the one place that's always been our safety net. That hasn't changed. You're an amazing, talented guitarist Deacon. We perform well together. On the stage we're completely in sync. It's when we're off the stage that worries me. I want us to be happy like we were before. I want things to go back to normal. I want us to be able to talk to each other, to stop tearing each other down. I want us to be friends again. That's all I want—all that I want **YOU** to want. Please Deacon, can we just clean the slate on this?" she asked.

He'd hesitated, then agreed to the truce. She'd gone to bed and he'd gone for a walk to clear his head. After that night, the situation between them gradually returned to normal…or as normal as it can get when two former-lovers are working together and living on a tour bus together, that is…

**...PRESENT DAY... **

"Mom…**Mom**!" Maddie's voice broke through her thoughts and Rayna snapped out of her little memory lane reverie, turning to Maddie.

"Oh. Sorry, sweetie. What were you saying?" she asked.

"I need your bag so I can take a shower," she said.

Rayna nodded, slipping the bag off. "Hot water works?" she asked Deacon after she handed Maddie the bag.

He nodded. "Yeah, well water so it's fine," he answered. "As far as I can tell, it's just the power. Generator's fried though. I was going to see if I could bring it back on-line in the morning, but now that you and Maddie are here I should probably get it taken care of tonight," he said.

She shook her head. "No, its fine, Deacon. Look, it's practically a deluge out there. Seriously, the fire's fine and you said the water's okay, so the power's the least of my worries. Besides," she said, looking around, "It looks like you've got enough candles going to light up the whole town," she said smiling, her voice teasing…though in truth he did have a couple dozen lit candles scattered around the place.

He laughed. "Yeah…guess I do. Well, give me a minute to grab the first-aid kit and show Maddie where everything is and I'll take care of that hand of yours," he said, grabbing a hand towel from the nearby kitchen and tying it around her bleeding hand. "Keep that on there until I get back," he told her, waiting until she nodded in understanding. "Good," he said, then turned to Maddie. "Alright kiddo, let me give you the ten-cent tour alright…" he said, their voices trailing off and fading as they left the room and headed up to the second floor of the cabin-esqe like structure, leaving Rayna to reminisce with her not-so-platonic memories of days long ago...


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys...it's been a crazy few weeks. Thank you for your incredible reviews! Hope you like the little update...chapter seven to come soon! Reviews and comments welcome! (Oh...and in answer to some of your questions, I changed the location of where Deacon proposed...the cabin just seemed to fit with where I was going with the story...hope that's okay :- )!) **

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. **

**CHAPTER SIX: "WOUNDS REOPENED"**

Rayna was sitting on the bench in front of the old baby grand piano that Deacon had had for years, tracing the keys with the tip of one finger when Deacon returned from upstairs, a first-aid kit in his hands. Situated by the fireplace, the flames cast a light over the beautiful mahogany wood finish, along with several pages of sheet music, some blank and some with unfinished notes and lyrics scrawled across the pages. She glanced up as Deacon neared, smiling.

"Hey. How'd Maddie like the tour?" she asked.

He laughed. "She loved it. However, I was informed that this place is too big to be called a cabin," he said. "I think she was expecting some one room log cabin with an outhouse out back," he said. "She's something."

Rayna nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, she is. She's amazing," she agreed, her heart full of love for her daughter. Correction. **Their** daughter.

"Did she need help with anything?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, she's fine. She already claimed the bedroom down the hall from the master. She's taking a quick shower, then she'll be down, she said."

Rayna laughed. "Quick shower? Are we talking about the same Maddie here?" she teased. "I don't think that girl has ever taken a shower that lasted less than a half-hour since she hit like age 12," she said.

Deacon returned the smile. "That's teenagers for ya," he said. "It's okay. She can take as long as she wants. There's plenty of hot water," he told her.

"Teenagers," Rayna repeated quietly, awe in her voice. "Can you believe she's 14 already? Our little girl's growing up, Deacon," Rayna said, realizing her choice of words after the fact. **_Our little girl_**.

Deacon didn't seem to mind the slip-up, if the smile on his face was any indication. He nodded.. "Yeah she is. It went by fast. It feels like yesterday when she climbing onto my lap and begging me to give her chord lessons. It almost doesn't seem real," he said.

Rayna nodded in agreement. "I'm with ya there," she said.

"Hey…I can't believe you still have this," she said, bringing her focus back to the piano. "When'd you have it restored?" she asked, running her uninjured hand across the smooth top.

He paused to think a moment. "Um, about 3 or 4 years ago," he answered. "She's old, but she's beautiful and has a lot of character. I thought about getting a newer replacement, but I just couldn't part with her," he said.

"It'd be a shame if you did," she agreed, then gestured towards the pages of sheet music. "Working on some new material, I take it?" she asked.

He nodded. "Something like that," he said. "I'm a little rusty, but it's getting there," he said.

She smiled, nodding. "Good. Good, I'm glad. You've got an amazing talent, Deacon, you really do," she said with genuine approval. "That song you played at the Bluebird for Maddie and me that night was incredible."

He just shrugged, never one to be comfortable with compliments and praise. "Speaking of that night, I never did thank you for coming. For bringing Maddie. It meant everything, Ray, it really did," he said. "So thank you."

She nodded. "You're welcome."

They both stood there for a long moment just looking at each other, neither moving an inch nor saying a word. Until Deacon broke the silence a few moments later—effectively ending that little moment they were having. He cleared his throat loudly, then held up the first aid kit. "Alright, let's take a look at that hand, shall we?"

She nodded. "I guess. Where do you want me?" she asked, looking around for a spot.

He nodded his head, indicating the fire. "I'd say right on the rug here in front of the fire. It'll be easier for me to see what I'm doing. That okay?" he asked.

She nodded and sat down on the floor, and he followed suit a moment later, sitting a foot or so away, across from her. Rummaging through the first aid kit, he grabbed what he needed….some gauze, some butterfly closures, a bottle of Betadine, and some bandages. He set the items aside momentarily and reached for her hand. "Okay let's see…" he said as he ever so carefully untied the cloth he'd wrapped around it before showing Maddie upstairs. With the cloth gone and nothing to sustain the pressure, she then was able to feel the throbbing, burning pain. Once exposed to the air, it started throbbing even more. She closed her eyes tightly to block out the pain until she heard Deacon curse sharply. "Christ Ray!" he exclaimed seconds later, prompting her to open her eyes and see what he was seeing.

Looking down at her hand, she too was grossed out. It wasn't a simple little cut, but rather a long slash across her palm. It wasn't extremely deep, but it was just deep enough that it was still bleeding. "Um, okay…I guess it was worse than I thought," she said, apologetic.

He nodded. "Apparently. Jeez. What did you say you cut it on?" he asked her as he grabbed the gauze and bottle of Betadine solution.

"A rock, I think. I-I really don't know. It was too dark for me to see anything," she replied. "I slipped coming up the side of the ditch."

"Just try to be a little more careful next time, okay?" he said. "You know I hate it when you're hurt," he told her, anguished. Their eyes met and held until she nervously looked away. He opened the betadine. "Okay, I'm going pour this on it. It's Betadine, which will disinfect the area, flush out any infections. I'm not going to lie…it's going to sting like a hurt like hell at first, so be prepared," he told her as he slowly began to pour the solution. She hissed in pain, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut hard. She literally felt as though her hand were on fire. "Sorry Babe. Just relax, it'll go away in a minute," he promised her.

Which it did. Luckily, the solution had stopped the bleeding, but he still applied the butterfly closures, just in case. Lastly, he grabbed the roll of gauze and began wrapping her palm "**And…**we're done," he announced as he finished taping the gauze. "Now, that wasn't too bad was it?" he asked lightly, smiling.

She frowned at him. "It's not funny. That-**that** **fucking** hurt," she said.

His expression turned solemn and he nodded. "I know, Ray, I'm sorry," he apologized. Then teasing again, he gave her a mischievous grin. "Want me to kiss it and make it feel better?" he asked.

Rayna smiled then and shook her head. "Real funny, Deacon…**real ** funny," she replied, her mouth going dry at the lust she saw in his eyes…

-#-

"What's funny?" Maddie asked as she walked into the room, having only caught the tail end of their conversation. They both turned around at her voice, neither having heard her come down the stairs or come into the room, for that matter, It was Rayna who spoke first, smiling.

"Oh hey, sweet girl," she acknowledged. "You find everything okay?" she asked.

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, I'm good," she said as she went over to sit by Rayna. "So…what's so funny?" she asked again, looking expectantly from Deacon to Rayna. Rayna gave a nervous laugh, catching the grin on Deacon's face and returning it with a glare.

"It's nothing, kiddo," Deacon answered for the save. "I was teasing your Mama about her hand. It was mean, sorry Ray," he said, catching her eye over Maddie's shoulder.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself to look away from Deacon and to focus on Maddie.

"So your hand's okay then?" Maddie asked.

Rayna smiled and nodded. "Yep, just a little cut. Nothing major," she said, downplaying the injury a bit for Maddie's sake, as she'd inherited Rayna's tendency to over-worry about everything and everyone. "What about you, sweetie? It's been a long day. I'm sure you're ready to crash just about now," she said.

Maddie shook her head. "Actually, I'm not really tired," she said. "I was thinking maybe of asking Deacon to play a few songs with me," she said, glancing over at Deacon. "I saw you had another guitar upstairs…would it be okay if we played for a bit? I know it's late and if you're tired it's okay, we don't-" she asked, her voice trailing off shyly.

Deacon smiled. "And pass up the chance to play with the great Maddie Conrad?" he teased. "Are you kidding? Girl, get your butt up there and grab that guitar," he said, grinning.

Maddie didn't have to be told twice. Grinning from ear to ear, she jumped up and was running out of the room in a flash. Deacon laughed as he watched her go, then turned to Rayna. The laughter died when he saw the unreadable expression on her unsmiling face. She looked like she was a million miles away as he reached out and put his hand on her knee. "Ray—hey, you okay?" he asked.

She lifted her head, startled…then nodded. "Um yeah, sorry. I'm fine. It's just been a really, really long day," she said.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you sure that's it?" he asked, trying to read her eyes but she dropped her gaze to her lap so that he couldn't.

"Yeah, yes…that's it. I'm…" she started, her reply cut off by Maddie's quite exuberant entrance as she came back, guitar in hand. She grabbed Deacon's guitar that was in its stand near the hearth, handing it to him before taking a seat herself.

"What should we play first?" she asked Deacon.

He shrugged. "Anything you want, sweetie. Your pick," he told her.

She grinned wide and nodded. "Awesome. Let's do "A Life That's Good" first, okay? I love that song," she said as she adjusted the capo clamp on the correct fret before turning towards Rayna. "Mom, you remember the words, right?" she asked.

Rayna smiled slightly, but shook her head. "Oh…I'm going to sit this one out and just watch you guys, I think," she said.

Maddie nodded. "Okay." She looked at Deacon. "Ready? I'll start and you can jump in, okay?"

He nodded. "Sounds good."

Maddie grinned and starting strumming the first chord, Deacon chiming in moments later with his own harmony…

_Sitting here tonight by the firelight._

_It reminds me I already have more than I should._

_I don't need fame. No one to know my name._

_At the end of the day, Lord I pray._

_I have a life that's good._

_Two arms around me._

_Heaven to ground me._

_And a family that always calls me home._

_Four wheels to get there._

_Enough love to share._

_And a sweet, sweet, sweet song._

_At the end of the day, Lord I pray._

_I have a life that's good._

_Sometimes I'm hard on me._

_When dreams don't come easy._

_I wanna look back and say I did all that I could._

_At the end of the day, Lord I pray._

_I have a life that's good…_

Maddie was smiling by the time the song came to an end and Deacon beamed with pride. "That was perfect, Darlin'," he praised her. "You've really picked up on those chords I showed you last week."

Maddie shrugged, a little uncomfortable with the compliments. "I've been practicing," she said. "You really think I'm good?" she asked.

He grinned. "Hell yeah, I do. Your Mama, too. Isn't that right, Ray?" he asked, turning in Rayna's direction. He stopped smiling when he saw the tear tracks on her pale face. "Ray?" he repeated again, concerned. When she lifted her eyes and finally met his gaze, he could see the welled-up tears in her eyes. He'd never seen her look so broken or that lost as she did right then. Just the sight of her tears alone had him coming undone. It broke his heart seeing her like that. He'd never handled her tears well, neither then or even now, apparently. "Ray?" he said again, questioningly.

"Mom?" Maddie asked from where she sat. She had the same worried look on her face that Deacon did. It was the uncertainty she heard in Maddie's voice that broke through her thoughts, and had her breaking the connection between Deacon and herself. She tore her gaze from his and turned to Maddie. "Yeah, sweetie?" she asked.

Maddie gave her a strange look before answering. "Mom, you're crying. What's wrong?" she asked.

Rayna held back her emotions as she forced a reassuring smile onto her face…a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "N-Nothing, baby. Nothing's wrong. I got a little too caught up in the song, that's all," she said. "You did a great job, honey," she said.

Before neither Deacon nor Maddie could say anything, she stood up. "I need—I think—you know, I'm just gonna go get some air. You two go ahead, though. Don't stop on my account," she said as she brushed against Deacon as she went to leave the room. He knew Rayna better than most and as such, he knew when something was wrong. And something was **definitely** wrong, though he still couldn't quite pin-point what that was. Determined to find out though, he grabbed her uninjured hand as she brushed past him, stopping her from leaving. "Ray, wait…" he said, searching her features. He watched as she looked about to say something, glanced at Maddie, and thought better of it. Then instead, she gave him a look that pretty much screamed "back off", pulled her hand free from his, and quickly made her way to and then out the front door of the cabin, into the storm.

Both Deacon and Maddie stood, looking at each other. "Maybe I should—" Maddie started, but Deacon cut her off, shaking his head.

"No, you know what, sweetie, it's okay. I think your Mama's just had a real crazy night with the whole storm and her truck…how about you head on up to bed? You've had a crazy night, too," he said with a half-smile. "We'll work on some new chords in the morning, alright?"

She lit up at that, nodding and starting towards the stairs with the guitar, then stopped on the second step and glanced again at the cabin door. "Are you sure Mom's okay? I feel bad. I mean, I made her drive us in the storm and I—"

Deacon walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, smiling. "She's fine, Darlin'. Besides, no one makes your Mama do anything she doesn't want to do. Trust me on that," he said. "Now get," he said with a teasing grin.

Maddie laughed. "Yeah, yeah. 'Night Deacon. I'm glad you're okay, by the way," she said shyly, ducking her head.

He smiled at her, his heart nearly bursting with the love he felt for the girl that he now knew was his. "Thank you," he said, nodding. "Good night, Maddie," he said, watching her turn and run up the stairs. Moments later, he heard the sound of the bedroom door close, and seconds later, the sound of faint guitar strumming that brought a knowing smile to his face. Oh yes, she was definitely his daughter, he thought to himself happily. The happiness fell to the back burner as he heard the howl of the wind outside and recalled the trace of tears on Rayna's face. Bracing himself for what lay on the other side of that door—and he wasn't referring to the weather—he grabbed a throw from the arm of the sofa that Rayna had discarded as she'd gotten up, pulled open the door, and went out…


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay, okay…here's the chapter we all (I think LOL) have been waiting for…well sort-of… That said, there's some SLIGHTLY MATURE, sexually-thematic material in here, so readers be warned… ;-) **

**COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. **

**CHAPTER SEVEN: "TORRENT OF TEARS & What Could Have Been"**

Deacon took a preparing breath as he shut the door of the cabin closed behind him, taking in the storm for a moment. The sky was dark and the wind furious as it whipped through the trees and rippled the water across the top of the lake next to the cabin. So fierce was the wind that he could feel it shake the foundation of the cabin right through the wooden floor boards of the porch he was standing on. The old wooden porch swing a few feet away swayed in the gust, knocking back against the cabin—the sound swallowed up by the wind and steady stream of rain that poured down, the likes of which was turning the grass and ground to mud and muck. It was a great storm, one he hadn't seen the likes of in years…one that reminded you of nature's fierceness …made you stand back in awe at the sheer intensity of nature's power. He reveled in it a moment, before reminding himself of why he'd gone out in the torrent in the first place. Rayna. She was a storm all on her own. She was his storm…

He had only to turn his head to find her…standing at the rail further down the porch, staring out into the storm as he had. She stood there, unmoving, her bare arms wrapped around herself. She stared absently out even as the wind and rain whipped her hair around her shoulders. He just stared as she closed her eyes and stepped forward, the spray of the rain mixing with the tears that fell down her pale, upturned face. A better man would have given her her space, allowed her that moment or two to fall apart…but he'd always been a sucker when it came to a woman's tears…especially if and when those tears belonged to Rayna Jaymes. He couldn't have turned away even if he'd wanted to...even if he tried.

It was that weakness that had him moving towards her, stopping a few feet or so away. "Ray," he said, alerting her of his presence. She must have sensed him there, for she didn't even flinch at his voice. Rather, she swallowed hard and unwrapped her arms, raising her hands to wipe at her tears with the pads of her fingers before opening her eyes.

He saw her lower lip quiver before she sighed and finally turned, facing him. "Deacon…for once, just...don't…" she managed, clearly fighting to keep her composure.

"Ray…look, just come back inside," he said. "It's a mess out here. You've got to be freezing," he said, stepping forward with the throw. She stopped him, raising a hand to ward him off. "Rayna, it's fine. If it's Maddie you're worried about…don't. I sent her up to bed. You saw her…that talk about not being tired…she was practically falling over in there. Plus, I promised to show her a new chord when she gets up, so I'm sure she's crashed out already. So come on, coast is clear," he said, gesturing towards the door.

She shook her head, turning away so she was looking back out at the storm. "No it's…I'm fine. Just…go back inside, Deacon. I'm fine," she said, her quivering lower lip belying the words the second they were out of her mouth.

"Don't, Ray. That's not going to fly with me, and you know it. You're not fine," he said matter-of-factly.

The teary eyes she flashed at him hinted of both a fire he recognized well-and a coolness that contradicted the glint of anger in her sapphire orbs-that he did not. "Damn it, you don't know everything about me, Deacon. Not anymore," she added, quieter.

"Try me," he challenged, taking a step towards her. "What don't I know, Rayna?" he asked, his voice rough. "I've known you since you were 16 years old, Ray. I've seen you at your best and some of your worst. I know what makes you tick, Ray. **I know you**. So don't stand here and pretend otherwise." He stepped forward. "Talk to me, Ray. Damn it, **please** just talk to me," he said, his voice softening so his tone was pleading-almost, as he took another step closer. When she took a step back, he stopped advancing. The last thing he wanted was to push her away, especially when it was so obvious that she was trying her best to shut him out. Like he'd said, he knew her. He knew when to push, and when to pull back. And there was something in her eyes…something in her body language as she wrapped her arms back around herself and stared off into the rain—**something**…that told him to back off. So he did. As much it destroyed him to see her so closed-off, he did it. "Alright Ray," he said, holding up his hand in a surrendering gesture. "You want space, I can give you that. You know where I am if you change your mind. Just…take the damn blanket, at least, please," he said, holding the throw out to her.

She turned and stared first at the throw he offered her, and then slowly lifted her tear-filled gaze to him. In her eyes, he saw her confusion and surprise…and something else he couldn't quite put a name to. "What—wh-**why** do you even care, Deacon?" she finally asked, though he could tell it cost her to speak the words.

Not liking the broken look he saw written in her features, he did what he always did—what he did best—and deflected. "Whether you freeze on the porch of my cabin? Well Ray…"

Again, the fire flashed in her eyes. Truth be told, he preferred it over the coolness he'd seen moments before. "Damn it, Deacon, don't play dumb with me," she spat. "You know what I mean. God, I—I wrecked your truck, Deacon. Hell, I took music away from you with your hand and—"

He swore, swiping a hand over his mouth and just stared at her in shock for a moment. He'd expected anger, not words of self-depreciation and self-blame or see the look of utter guilt in her eyes. He took a step towards her, wanting to throttle her as much as he wanted to comfort her. "You—you think I blame you for the accident, Ray—for what happened to my damn truck and my hand and—are you kidding me?!"

"Don't you?" she responded. "Hell, it's **my** fault. I did this. All of it, Deacon. Me. If I hadn't lied to you about Maddie all those years—if I hadn't—the drinking—I-I took her from you. Thirteen years of her life. From you, from her—and I know she hates me for it. I mean, I-I can't expect her to forgive me for it, I can't ask—I can't—and you—you told me to leave you alone that night and I just, I wanted to fix it—to fix what I broke and I—then the accident and I should have been watching the road, I know it and I wasn't and it was all my fault—"she dropped her gaze to his hand, the tears streaming freely down now as she continued. "And your hand…your music…it's just another thing I took away… I just keep…"

He swore, moving forward so fast that she literally gasped when he reached for her, his hands hard as he framed her face with them on either side, forcing her to look at him and to hear his words. "Shut up, Rayna.

God, just…just stop. Right there. You didn't screw up anything, Ray. Everything that's happened, I did to myself. I'm an alcoholic, Rayna. I drink. I hurt myself. And Godknows, I hurt the people I care about….the people I love. And I have—there's no good excuse for it. As for Maddie—you didn't **take** those thirteen years from me, Ray. I **lost** them because of my own damn selfish stupidity. If there's anyone Maddie should hate or blame—it's me. Not you. God—you protected her. You saved her. Just like you tried to save me the night of the accident. You think I blame you? Hell, I don't blame you—Ray. You almost **died**. And it would have been my fault. Not yours. Mine. I was the son-of-a-bitch that was drinking and fighting with you when—Hell, look Babe, whatever I've lost—**everything **thatI've lost—is my own goddamn doing. Trust me, Ray, nothing…you hear me—**nothing** is your fault…" he said, trying like hell to make her believe the words.

He saw the refusal in her eyes and as she opened her mouth, he swore and did the only thing he could think to stop her from saying the words he saw in her eyes…he kissed her.

His mouth crashed down on hers as the sky lit with an intense bolt of lightning, the storm's fury mirroring his own furious need. The need to comfort and to soothe her ridiculously irrational sense of guilt yes, but also his immediate, overwhelming need to just **have** her. Every other rational thought vanished for him in that moment. The storm forgotten, his hands fell, spanning her waist seconds before he lifted her, sitting her atop the wide porch rail. He swallowed her little shriek of surprise as he stepped between her long legs. He grinned when she wrapped those sexy limbs around his waist even as he slid his hands up her sides to her neck, cupping her face as he plundered that sweet mouth of hers. God, how he'd missed that, dark-hot taste that was all **RAYNA**, he realized. He groaned as he slid his hand up and twisted his fingers in her damp locks, yanking hard and feasting on the pale, creamy skin of her neck. He lightly scraped his teeth against that spot just below her ear that always drove her crazy, allowing himself that moment of supreme male satisfaction when she let out a breathless moan and dug her fingers into his shoulders. Tugging on her hair again, he closed his mouth over the quick-pulsing spot at the base of her throat, nipping the sensitive skin and quickly soothing it with his tongue a moment later.

While he happily would have loved to stay there and devour her neck…and other parts of her…the wind shifted, blowing the cold rain towards them. Undeterred, he wrapped an arm around her back and lifted her as he whirled her around and backed her up against the side of the cabin. She gasped as her back hit the wood and managed to gulp in a breath before his mouth descended on hers once more. As their lips fused and tongues dueled, it was like a battle as old as time. One so familiar that it both comforted him and at the same time, fueled his desire for her to a near breath-taking level of intensity that it physically hurt. Every fiber in his being demanded he take her, right then and then, up against the side of his cabin, with the wind and storm ravaging around them.

But then there was all the emotional hurt that bubbled to the surface and had him pulling back. She unwound herself from his waist and slid down, breathing hard…same as he. She had the look of a ravished, albeit slightly-embarrassed, woman when she finally lifted her gaze to his a moment later. "Well um…yeah…um, Deacon…" she started.

He cut her off with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry. That was so out of line. I just um…guess I got a little carried away there," he apologized.

She swallowed hard, smiling as she ducked her head and reached out, grabbing his wrist. She could feel the spike in the rhythm of his pulse there and inwardly sighed with satisfaction. Outwardly, she forced herself the haze of lust that had hijacked her senses and actions moments before, telling herself it was the storm. Or **something**. She gave Deacon a half-smile as she shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine. It's…let's just chalk it up to the craziness of this storm and the night, okay? We should um—it's late and the rain—I'm just um-gonna go bunk with Maddie in the extra bedroom…" she said in explanation, nervous nodding as she worked up the nerve to leave. "Um, yeah…" she said again, laughing at her silly edginess as she raised her hand to Deacon's chest. "Good night, Deacon," she said, and then went to move away.

He caught her wrist as her hand dropped, stopping her. "Ray—about the accident—"he began.

She shook her head. "I—Not tonight, Deacon," she said quietly. "Please, just…not tonight…" she said, her eyes filling with those shadows again.

He sighed, nodding. "Soon then…" he said, his tone promising that they **would** most definitely be re-visiting the discussion again. Then, as if it were simple reflex or routine, he raised her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist in an intimate gesture that was meant to simmer the subtle coolness he felt emanating from her. "Good night, Ray," he said, letting her go as he walked to the door and held it open for her as she walked through.

Luckily—for her—he was completely unaware of the shiver that coursed her and nearly had her turning back and finishing what they'd begun in the mist of the storm. Instead, and with every ounce of willpower she possessed, she walked up the stairs…and moments later, slid into the king-size bed beside their—Deacon had called it—blissfully unaware, sleeping teenage daughter…

**_A/N: AS ALWAYS, COMMENTS & REVIEWS ARE MOST DEFINITELY WELCOME AND APPRECIATED… :-) XOXO_**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Many thanks for the lovely reviews! So happy you all were okay with me leaving it as I did and that you liked the DEYNA in the rain fluff. No worries, there's plenty more where that came from…and a whole lot more in store for Rayna and Deacon in this story … here's just a start of more … hope you like it… :)**

**COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. **

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT: "STUCK IN MORE COLDER WEATHER"**

Rayna groaned as she was awakened by an accidental jab in the ribs by a hard teenage elbow. A glance to her left showed a sprawled out, sleeping Maddie was the culprit. Favoring her side, she shifted away in the king-size bed. She'd completely forgotten how Maddie had inherited her unfortunate yet quirky and innate ability to somehow always gravitate towards the middle of the bed when sleeping—no matter the size. Or who happened to be sharing that bed, for that matter—in Rayna's experience. Although, she noted silently, she'd outgrown the habit during her marriage to Teddy—it seemed to have come back naturally on its own following the separation and eventual dissolution of the marriage. A peculiar observation that she analyzed for a moment before dismissing it with disinterest. That and the simple fact that she was absolutely exhausted. She hadn't slept well. And she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with flying teenage limbs either. Rather, she was quite certain that her restlessness had little to do with either the sleeping arrangements or the storm, for that matter, and far more to do with a certain little late-night make out session on the porch in the rain with Deacon. Her fluttering pulse just thinking about it pretty much confirmed her suspicions and the notion **for** her.

Embarrassed by her not so g-rated emotions right then, she scolded herself for even allowing her thoughts to wander to such things while her 14-year-old daughter lay asleep just inches away, and forced her eyes closed. As exhausted as she was however, she knew resuming sleep was a joke. She had too much on her mind for that to happen. Her and Deacon. Maddie and Deacon. Her and Luke. Not to mention the label and what seemed like the million things she still had left to do to put the finishing touches on her life-long aspiration/dream that was coming to fruition. She'd worked so hard and just when everything was finally starting to come together, now there was the whole business with Jeff and Edgehill and the buyout…it was absolute insanity. The thoughts were a reminder of the responsibility she had waiting for her back in Nashville …which had her remembering the storm and the not-so-pleasant fact that her car was, at the moment, lying in a muddy ditch, tucked somewhere in the rolling hills of Tennessee…miles from civilization, let alone a tow service.

The storm, she thought again, her eyes flying open as she sat right up in the bed. Her eyes narrowing, she paused and listened. And heard the not-so-welcome sound of the still-present wind and the heavy rain. She'd expected and -after the porch incident-hoped the storm would pass through by morning…but alas, that clearly was not the case outside. In fact, from the sound of it, it'd only gotten worse. The wind howled and shook the structure slightly, albeit not enough to warrant any real concern. Throwing off the covers, she turned and swung her legs off the side of the bed, standing. Stretching her aching body, she padded across the cold, hard-wood floor in her bare feet, wishing she'd had the forethought to pack her comfy, wool Uggs in the overnight bag she'd brought. Or she could always steal a pair of Deacon's socks, she thought as she walked to the window and pulled back the curtain far enough to see what the weather was doing outside.

She scrunched up her features in distaste, almost wishing she **had** stayed in the bed. From the looks of it, the storm hadn't let up one bit overnight. The lake level had risen from the rain and the usually beautiful grassy knolls and land stretching a couple of acres around the cabin seemed to have morphed into a muddy swampland. The sky was dark and gloomy and just plain miserable-looking. It was depressing.

As she trying to figure out what the **hell** she was going to do with travel being—clearly—out of the question, she heard the sound of a door slam downstairs, a force that shook the window frames and the crystal prisms dangling from the chandelier light that hung over the bed slightly, followed by a deep, angry cursing. Maddie, who'd turned over and was sprawled out on her stomach, wasn't affected in the slightest. Before crystal prisms started dropping—or anything else—she figured she should find out the cause of the apparent angst swirling down on the first level of the cabin. Quietly, so as not to wake Maddie, she left the room and headed for the stairs.

She was almost to the landing when she first heard, rather than saw, Deacon grumbling and cursing in front of the door, stumbling around on one foot as he struggled to pull off one muddy boot. She would have felt sorry for him, were it not for the humorous sight he made hopping around and swearing like a sailor as he was. The corners of her lips turned up into a smile as she descended the final steps. "You know, if Daphne heard you right now…"

Deacon stopped in mid-hop. "Rayna," he breathed. "Aw, Christ. Shit. Er-damn it. Sorry," he said, his expression softening with contrition.

She smirked, crossing her arms as she studied him. "Nice, Deac. You kiss your Mama with that mouth?" she asked, teasing.

He smirked back. "Well, I kissed **you** with this mouth, if I recall. Just last night, in fact. So…," he said, smirking.

She pursed her lips, a scoff escaping her lips. She rolled her eyes. "Uh huh, yeah. So um, what's with the Cirque de Soleil act we got going on here?" she asked, indicating his hopping antics, and decidedly NOT playing into his other teasing banter.

He grunted as he tugged, finally getting the boot off and stumbling back, catching himself a moment before he fell on his ass. He cursed again as he tossed the muddy thing to the wet floor-mat by the door to join its twin. His socks beneath were soaked and muddy as well, which was a clear indication of what lay outside the cabin walls. He tossed his wet coat on a chair, running a frustrated hand through his dripping hair. Water sluiced down the sides of his face from the rain and bare arms from his soaked clothing. "Well, it's a damn deluge out there," he said, not even bothering to apologize for the angst or curse. She ignored it as well. "It's like walking through a whole foot of sludge-at least—just to get anywhere," he described. "I tried seeing what I could do with that back-up generator," he explained when she gave him a questioning look. "It's a mess. I'm going to go back out and try to see what I can do with it in a bit," he said.

Rayna nodded. "You might want to dry off a bit first," she said. "You're gonna catch a death of a chill. And you know, Deacon, if it's for our account—mine and Maddie's—really, you don't have to go through the trouble. We've got water and the fire, so we're fine. We can rough it out for a bit, I think. The storm can't last forever, right?" she offered, smiling with compassion.

He looked down at her. "Ever the optimist, huh Ray?" he asked, smiling back at her. "Speaking of roughing it though," he started, his eyes darkening. "I trekked down to your truck earlier," he said.

She scrunched her nose. "Yuck-that bad, huh?" she asked.

"Well, I'd say that depends on your definition of 'bad', but if you ask me…um, yeah. I'd say it's pretty bad. Christ, Ray. A 'little' accident?" he asked, repeating the phrase she'd used the night before. "I know what I saw and there was nothing 'little' about that. All that erosion and the flooding—you guys could have been seriously hurt…or worse," he said, his voice softening. "I'm sorry, Ray. **_Again_**."

She stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm. "Now who's got some misplaced guilt? Pot calling the kettle black and all that," she said, trying to lighten the mood and assuage his guilt. "Deacon, its fine. I'm sure it looks worse than it was now, especially all this rain. Either way, we're both fine. You're safe, we're safe…the rest is almost literally, water under the bridge," she said, smiling more fully.

"Not funny, Ray," he said, but he smiled a little at the pun. He slid his hand down her arm to her wrist, lifting her bandaged hand. "How's the hand, by the way?" he asked.

"Its fine," she said, smiling at his raised brow at her word usage. "Really. My ribs on the other hand, not so much," she said with a scrunched look.

He raised a concerned brow then. "Ribs? Damn it, Ray. I asked you last night if you were injured anywhere else. You never said anything about your ribs. How bad? Let me see," he said, moving forward.

She laughed, taking a deliberate step back as she raised her hands to ward him off. "Watch the hands, Mister," she teased. "Again, you're overreacting. First off, it's nothing. Second, it didn't happen last night. It happened this morning when our sweet daughter elbowed me in her sleep," she informed him, correcting his wrong assumption.

"Oh, right" he said, understanding. "Even so, that does suck. Sorry. You know, I recall a few bruised ribs and kicked shins and early morning injuries of my own," he said, grinning. "Usually because a certain someone liked to hog the bed. I think Maddie might have gotten it from her, what do you think? You wouldn't happen to know anyone like that, would you, Ray?" he asked, smirking as he tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingers lingering a moment.

"Oh you…you're just a bucket of jokes this morning, aren't you Mr. Sunshine?" she responded with a glare, smacking his good arm lightly.

"You know it," he said with a big, mischievous grin. "Someone still gets grumpy when she doesn't get her morning caffeine, I see," he said, putting a hand to the small of her back and gesturing towards the den and the fire. "Come on, I've got a hot plate over there. Let me make you a cup of coffee," he offered, leading her.

She laughed, stepping away. "You're soaked, Deacon. I've got a better idea. You go get cleaned up. I'll take café of the coffee," she said.

He looked down at his soddy clothing, grunted in disgust, then nodded. "Yeah, good idea. You know how to operate a Bunsen burner, right?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes, nodding. "Yes. I think I can manage it. You know, this ain't my first rodeo, Cowboy," she said, smiling. "Not get. You're tracking mud all over," she scolded him.

"Yes, Ma'am…" he said, still laughing a minute later as he followed her suggestion and trudged his way up the stairs to take a shower and get cleaned up.

* * *

**20 minutes later…**

One hot, very-appreciated but quick shower later, Deacon was making his way back downstairs, dressed in dry, warm, and best of all, **_clean_**clothing—a definite improvement compared to his previous attire. As he reached the landing and started towards the open den, he found Rayna curled up on the sofa in front of the burning fire-place, asleep. His lips turned up in to a smile as he glanced towards the Bunsen Burner and hot plate setup on the coffee table and the semi-steaming mugs sitting beside it. From the looks of it, she'd apparently made the coffees and passed out before even taking a sip. Not that he was surprised, considering all that she'd been through in the last 24 hours with the drive up there and the storm. The accident with her truck aside, she'd gotten nearly no sleep.

Not that he'd gotten much himself. After what transpired on the porch between them—sleep had been impossible. He'd tried though. After he'd bid Rayna goodnight and watched her walk upstairs, he'd ducked back outside to cool down and put a damper on his raging hormones and lusty thoughts. When that failed miserably and all he could see were flashes of images of he and Rayna going at it like two mind-scorching, sex-driven teenagers—her on his porch rail, head tipped back and mouth slightly open, waiting…her against the side of the cabin, her moaning mouth hot under his, her long legs wrapped around his waist, the feel of her nails digging into his shoulders...a failed move definitely. Swearing into the rain, he'd gone back inside and settled on the couch in front of the fire, as there was no way he was sleeping upstairs, knowing she lay asleep in bed just down the hall from him. It'd have driven him even crazier.

So he'd bunked on the couch and attempted sleep. An impossible feat, as he couldn't get Rayna off his mind. It wasn't just the incident on the porch. It was the whole damn cabin. It was the rug in front of the fire where they'd made love countless times and spent hours wrapped in each other's arms all night long. It was the couch where he had chosen to sleep where they'd cuddled and talked and sang to each other…many a love song had been written on the couch. Even the black marble counter top and hardwood floor in the damn kitchen had memories that were far from conducive in helping a man sleep. Though she hadn't been to the place in years, she was still as much a part of the structure as she had been—almost as though she'd never left.

That realization had his thoughts switching gears and going to Megan—his less-than-committed actions leaving him consumed with guilt. Though neither he nor Megan had yet used the word "exclusive" exactly, it was implied. They were together. She was his girlfriend. The fact that he had a long, complicated history with Rayna or even the fact that he'd stopped himself before things on the porch had progressed further—was neither an excuse nor consolation for Deacon. He'd kissed another woman. That the woman had been Rayna only made the betrayal worse, he felt. Not to mention that he'd wanted to do so **very** much more and had only stopped himself by the hair of his teeth, so to speak. Either way, it was wrong. Megan was a good, caring woman. She'd been there for him after the accident when Rayna hadn't. Truth be told, she'd saved him. If it weren't for her, he might have succumbed to the gnawing thirst and taken a drink to forget the hurt he'd caused those who cared about him most. What he'd lost with Maddie and what he'd done to Rayna and the whole damn mess he'd made of his life and everything and everyone around him. But he hadn't. Mostly, in part, to Megan. She was the complete opposite of Rayna. She made him feel centered, grounded…stable. She made him happy. Thus, the guilt. He spent the next restless couple of hours trying to determine what it all meant and where things went from there. Should he tell Megan what happened with Rayna, or spare her the hurt? Should he ignore what had transpired—the pent-up feelings he **still** felt—and go on as if nothing had happened? Should he continue to deny what his heart and body both clearly desired—or go forward with a possible future with Megan? There were so many questions that he didn't have answers for. So with sleep not going to happen, he'd finally gotten up and went out to fiddle with the generator.

Checking on Rayna's truck had been an afterthought. He'd gone walking to calm his frustration with the generator and ended up on the road that led to the cabin. As Rayna had said, there were parts of the road that were simply impassable and some parts that just weren't even there anymore, thanks to the flooding rainwater and geological erosion. He hadn't known what he expected to see when he'd come upon Ray's truck, but it definitely had been something other than what he saw. It nearly stole his breath when he saw the SUV laying on its roof in about a foot of mud and swirling water, banged up by the rocks and fallen branches that had come down to rest on the underside carriage of the vehicle that now lay up in the air. Just knowing that Maddie and Rayna had been in that—and that albeit indirectly because of him—had made him want to be physically sick. And furious. In fact, truth be told, the grumbling that had brought Rayna downstairs that morning had more to do with the fury he felt at her for driving out there in the damn first place and himself for being the reason for her doing it—than the generator as he'd told her. He'd wanted to throttle her. If it weren't for her looking so sleepy and warm and scolding him for his language, he just might have.

Sighing, he grabbed the throw—the same one from the porch the night before—and went to cover her with it. He was tucking it around her shoulder when she made a little sigh and her eyes fluttered open, gazing directly into his. "Oh hey, Babe…" she said smiling, half-asleep and clearly not completely cognizant of what she was saying.

Tamping down his distressing desire to kiss that sleepy mouth of hers senseless and finish once and for all what he'd started the night before on the porch, he gritted his teeth and willed himself to take a step back. "Ray…we should talk…" he said instead.

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**A/N: COMMENTS/QUESTIONS/CRITIQUES/REVIEWS…ALL ARE WELCOME AND APPRECIATED. THANK YOU! :) :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So encouraged by all these lovely reviews! Thank you! I know we all love the Rayna & Deacon FLUFF and not to worry, there's plenty more of that coming, but in case ya'll haven't noticed by now, I love writing drama, as I personally think it more accurately portrays real life…and makes for a more interesting read. So as easy (and amazing) as it would be to just throw these two together, I want to give the relationship some real sustenance before I do. So, that said, you won't be disappointed on either the fluff or the drama end…as such here's the new chapter. As always, let me know what you think! :) xoxo, MJ**

**COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING.**

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**CHAPTER NINE: "(SOMETIMES) TALKING MAKES IT WORSE"**

_"Ray…we should talk…" That's what Deacon said. _

Rayna barely heard him in her sleep-impaired state, but the seriousness in both his tone and in his expression had her blinking through the fog and sitting up. "Wh-what—"she glanced towards the stairs. "Is it-Maddie? Wh-Deacon?" she asked, confused.

He berated himself for his ridiculous timing, feeling guilty again. There was a better time and place for the discussion that they were about to have. It certainly wasn't there on a couch where they'd made love countless times in a cabin where they'd gotten engaged and made plans for a life together. And not right then, when she was half asleep and recovering from an exhausting overnight and minor accident. Instinctively, to assuage her worry, he reached out and placed his hand on her blanket-covered thigh. "Shh…no, relax, its fine. Maddie's fine. I checked in on her before I came back down and she's still out for the count. It's um…it's not that," he said, at a loss right then for what to say to start. Suddenly, he pulled his hand off her quickly, as if burned by the touch of her…the action a little more over-the-top than intended…definitely a telling sign that something was off.

Her fatigued expression started to clear and she furrowed her brows at him, searching his face for answers. "Deacon?" she finally asked, her tone both expectant and uncertain.

He sat down on the coffee table and sighed, running a hand through his hand as he searched for the right words. Finally, he rested his forearms on his knees and leaned forward to speak. "Ray. I'm sorry. I know this isn't the right place or hell, the best timing but…we have to talk about last night," he said.

He saw her swallow hard and sit back, before she exhaled through thin, pursed lips and nodded. "Okay…" she agreed, her voice shakier than **she** probably intended, he knew.

It was a small comfort to him, knowing that she was just as nervous about this conversation as he…though his emotions were mixed as to precisely why that was. "Okay. Well, um, I should probably start off by saying I'm sorry. I-I know I've said it a lot these past few months—and you're probably sick and tired of hearing it—but I need you to believe and know that I really do mean it, Ray. I'm sorry," he said, with genuine emotion.

She bit her lip and he saw the empathy in her eyes as she leaned forward and reached out taking his hand. He saw the "It's okay," coming before she even said it.

He squeezed her hand in both of his, shaking his head as he cut her off. "No, Ray…it's not okay. It could never be okay. I never apologized to you for the accident. Not even that night by the road when you gave me back the ring. I should have. God knows I should have. And I meant to…you have to believe that…I just—I don't know. I guess I just thought we'd have more time, you know? I know, it was absolutely ridiculous and self-righteous to even think you'd forgive me after what I did—but I guess I just couldn't see through my own hurt and fear to realize that. But I realize it now and I'm…God, Ray, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, tears filling his big blue eyes, his voice tortured. She took his other hand in hers; subconsciously rubbing his palm with the pads of her thumbs, sniffling back her own tears.

"I don't know how much you remember about that night, Ray…but it was bad. God, it was…and I remember…all of it. I guess that's my penance…I don't know. I just…I still see it. The flashbacks...I hear us arguing before…you pleading with me to put that bottle down and to stop and me just…and then the lights. Those bright damn lights and you screaming and then…" he continued.

She gripped his hands, shaking her head. "Deacon, stop…please, I don't want to hear it..." she said, the tears finally sliding down her face, as all the unwanted memories and all the heavy emotions associated with that night came flooding back.

He eyes bored into hers. "Ray…I have to…you have to hear what…you just have to…" he said, his voice breaking. Still, he continued. "I-I wasn't out long. A few minutes maybe, I don't know. My hand…I thought I would be sick. God, I don't think I ever felt so much pain in my life. And then I looked over at you…" he dropped his gaze, unable to look at her when he spoke and replayed it for her in raw detail. "You were so pale. So…still. Your head…there was so much blood. You were just lying there and I could see the label from that damn bottle of Scotch and all I could think was that I'd finally done it. I'd finally let it take everything. Vince. A life with my daughter. And you. God, I thought you were dead, Ray," he said, looking up then and meeting her eyes. "Hell, you were," he said, ignoring the tears that streamed down his face and blurred his vision. "I was in that ambulance Ray. I was lying next to you and holding your hand, begging you to stay with me, when they lost your heartbeat. You were gone for a minute and 12 seconds, Ray. It wasn't the longest minute and 12 seconds of my life. I begged you to come back to me…hell, I begged God to take me instead. What you said that night by the side of the road…you couldn't have been closer to the truth, Rayna. You said it was as though people expected us to die there and well, Ray…in a lot of ways, I honestly think I did. God knows, I wanted to." He took a ragged breath and absently wiped at the tears on his face.

Again, when she tried to comfort him, he would have none of it. It was as though he had to say what he had to say and he wouldn't find peace until he did. If there were any for him to be had. "Ray, I know now why you didn't tell me about Maddie and I—I want you to know that I don't hold it against you anymore. You were trying to protect her from me and you were right. After what I did to you—after everything I risked because of my addictions and weakness—I get it," he said.

She shook her head and captured his face with her hands. "Deacon, listen to me, okay…I need you to hear this. To hear me. You are NOT weak. God, you're one of the strongest, bravest men that I know, you know that?" she said, caressing the stubble on the side of his face and smiling through her tears. "You had a horrible childhood. I know you don't like to talk about it and I'm not even going to try to presume to understand what it must have been like to grow up with a father like yours—and then to lose Vince, your best friend…anyone would struggle, Deacon. **Anyone**. I'm not excusing the drinking or saying it wasn't an issue, because it was. It is. It always will be. There's always going to be that struggle, Deacon, that **pull**. How you face that struggle—your resistance—that's proves your strength, Deacon," she informed him.

"But I didn't resist, Ray. I did what I always did when things got tough. I turned to the bottle. I fell off the wagon and destroyed everything I worked for. Hell, I nearly took** YOUR** life in the process. That's NOT strength, Ray. It's the exact opposite," he argued.

She sighed, giving him a sweet, sad smile. "Oh Deac, you're wrong. So wrong. You made a mistake. One mistake in over 13 years of sobriety. Thirteen years. You resisted that pull for **all** those years. You can't let one slip destroy your resolve. And you didn't lose everything, Deacon. You have your life. You have your music…your talent. You have Maddie. She adores you, you know. I overheard her on the phone with her friend Talia one night a few weeks ago and do you know what she said? She said that you were her inspiration because of how far you've come and how much you've changed…all for the better. How even with your hand, you haven't given up on your music. She said those things Deacon because she meant them, because she loves you. From where I stand, you haven't lost anything. You've gained…so much." She wiped a tear from his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "I know you're scared and I know it's going to be hard. But you're not alone in this struggle. You're not. You have yourself. You have Maddie. And…and you have me," she added softly, anxiously averting her eyes and quickly wrapping her arms around him, both to comfort and to avoid his gaze for fear he'd see exactly what she feeling right then…feelings she hadn't deciphered yet herself.

He let her hold him for a long moment, breathing in her scent as he turned his face into the curve of her neck. He didn't move for a time as he held her in return, with one arm around her back and the other cupping the back of her neck. As his fingers slipped through the soft locks at her crown, he slowly pulled back, watching the way her eyes clouded over as her gaze slowly connected with his. "Do I, Ray?" he finally asked, his voice soft.

"Hmm?" she murmured, her eyes heavy-lidded as her gaze dropped to his mouth and her lips parted, waiting.

"Do I have you?" he clarified. When her brow furrowed with confusion, he elaborated. "I think we both know that Nashville's a small town. And I may be off the grid a bit as far as the business is concerned, but I still have ears. Want to tell me about Luke Wheeler?" he asked carefully. The haze lifted almost as quickly as it had fallen and her eyes widened as she sat back with a little, "Oh." She dropped her hands and folded them nervously in her lap. He nodded, taking that as her assent. "Is it serious?" he asked.

She sighed and took a moment to lift her gaze, longer to answer. He saw the defensiveness creep into her features before she narrowed her eyes and tipped up her chin. "I don't know, is it serious with Megan?" she retorted, her tone slightly argumentative.

He was a little taken aback at her tone. "Pretty serious, yeah. Deflecting again, Ray?" was his reply.

She shrugged. "No. I'm just curious. I mean, you went with her to the Polo Match. Since when do you willingly brush elbows with the Belle Meade elite, Deacon? You have those kinds of things. At least I thought you did," she said.

He gestured back at her, a little prickly at her offensive comment. "Well, I could say the same for you, Ray. You've spent the past 20 years defying your father and avoiding all those country-club snobs," he pointed out.

"You think I wanted to be there? That I actually **_enjoyed_** playing nice with all those self-righteous, pompous Belle Meaders? Believe me, I'd rather have delighted in having a double root-canal—without anesthesia," she added. "But we all have to do things we wish we didn't have to sometimes. And if I had any chance at all in getting out from under Jeff Fordham's twisted vision for** MY** career and my artists—and indirectly the label I've fought tooth and nail for—then I needed buyout funds. **That's** why I was there, Deacon. Not because I wanted to be," she said, a little indignant.

He saw the aggravation in her features and knew it was a sore subject for her. Not for the first time that morning, he felt guilty for baiting her. "Sorry Rayna. I didn't know," he apologized. "Why didn't you say anything? I mean, I knew Edge Hill replaced Marshall Evans and brought in some new guy, but I had no idea. What's this Fordham guy's problem?" he asked, conversationally.

Still a bit rankled, she brushed him off. "It's nothing. He's a jerk…but it's nothing I can't handle. I've dealt with my share of inept label execs over the years, as you know," she said.

"Well that's true. But when you say he's a jerk though, how do you mean?" he asked, pressing her for more conversation.

She shook her head and tossed back the throw, moving as if to stand. "It's not important. Look, I should probably go check on Maddie."

He caught her hand, stopping her. "Ray, wait. What's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?" he asked. "If it's what I said about the club snobs, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed or attacked you like that. I should've known you wouldn't have had a good reason for having been there. Really, I'm sorry," he insisted.

"It's not that," she said. "Look, it's nothing. Just drop it," she said, attempting to pull her hand free from his grasp.

He wasn't letting her bolt that easily. "I'm not buying it. Ray, what's really going on here? I know you. You're shutting me out and I damn well want to know why," he said, rising and grasping her forearms to keep her in place. Their gazes locked and he saw the hot defiance flash in hers. It was a look he knew well. She was looking for a fight and by God, he was in the mood to give her one. "Damn it Ray, stop," he said as she started to struggle against his hold.

"You stop!" she said angrily, shoving at his chest with her hands as angry tears formed in her eyes and slid down her suddenly flustered, heated cheeks. "Deacon, let me go!" she cried, continuing to push at him.

Cursing and wincing at her blows, he grabbed her hands and circled her tiny wrists with his fingers, stopping her frontal-attack. She was small, but the woman could pack some heat and do some damage with the right incentive. And clearly, whatever he'd done or said had incited her enough that she was clearly at such a point.

"Rayna, stop," he said, with a little more force. When she wouldn't—and when the tears just fell harder—he made her sit back down, then straddled her with his knees on either side of her legs, effectively pinning her between the back of the couch and his body. It wasn't the greatest way to get to reason, but it was the only way to subdue her and make her talk to him. "Stop, babe…Ray, babe, stop…" he cajoled her. After a few moments, she finally did…only to start sobbing.

"Damn you, Deacon…" she cried, hitting his chest a final time when he finally released her wrists. "Why do I keep letting you do this?" she asked, her voice torn.

"Do what, Babe?" he asked, feeling the worst as he saw how much of a wreck she was. How broken she sounded. He hated her tears, but hearing her sob was even worse. It was like being stabbed in the gut, over and over. And the worst part was, he had no idea what he'd done to cause the pain she was obviously feeling.

"This," she answered. "Make me feel…things. Again. The way you kissed me last night and then say what you said before and…and then you bring up Luke and you act all jealous and God, Deacon—what about Megan? You're getting serious with her but you're kissing me? I mean—what happens now? Are you going to tell her what happened? Am I supposed to tell Luke that I was here? That we practically made love on your porch last night in the rain?" she asked.

He sat back a ways at that, still straddling. He ran a hand through his hair and gave a heavy sigh. "Jesus, Ray…I—I don't know what to say…" he started.

"You have to say something," she said. "I-I need to know what this means, Deacon."

He swore under his breath, shaking his head. "Damn it, Rayna. I don't know what it means. God this—whatever this is—it won't go away. Do you think I like this, Rayna? That I like screwing with your head or mine? I didn't plan this or ask for it to happen. I didn't know you'd show up here with Maddie. I didn't know plan what happened on the porch last night. Maybe it was wrong—I-God, I don't know anymore. I don't know what I'm going to tell Megan—or if I'm going to say anything. I-She's a good woman, Ray. She is. She's a better woman than I deserve, that I do know," he told her honestly.

It killed him to see the way she reacted to him speaking of Megan the way he was…like she was recoiling from a blow. He could see her process the words and see her try to put on a brave face, but he knew her well enough to know that the acknowledgement had hurt her. He saw her mouth work as she struggled to speak. "Do-do you love her?" she finally asked, her voice strangely quiet.

He did a bit of a recoil himself at the question—having not expected it. It took a moment for him to respond and when he did, his answer was noncommittal. "I don't know, Ray. I enjoy being with her. I'm happy when I'm with her. Content is a good word to describe it, I guess. I mean, it's different, Ray. It's not like with us. It's not crazy and explosive. It's exactly what I need. What I should want," he said, then swore again as he leaned forward and slid his hand to her neck again, caressing her skin with his thumb as he looked deep into her eyes. "I care about her. But I care about you, too Rayna. Far more than I probably should or even have a right to. Which is why it makes me sick knowing that you're with Luke now...that he gets to have things that I want…" he said, groaning as his gaze fell to her open mouth.

"What kind of things?" she asked, her voice having gone dry and sultry.

It was all the resolve he had and it was gone. "Christ Ray…" he breathed even as his mouth crashed down on hers, swallowing her moan. He kissed her like a man dying of thirst…like it was the last time. As their tongues dueled, their hands raced, touching everywhere they could. Hers slid under his flannel shirt and up his back, gripping his shoulders momentarily before she deliberately raked her nails down his back. He exhaled sharply against her mouth at her nails, even as his own hands slid under and up her shirt, roughly cupping her bare breasts and toying with the already hard, aching peaks. She moaned and her head fell back, giving his mouth deeper access to hers.

"Deacon, please…" she moaned against his lips as her hands gripped his sides and she lifted her hips off the couch, angling them up to rock her pelvis against his.

"Babe, I know…" he responded with a groan as he rubbed one hard peak between the pads of his thumb and index finger, grinning with primal satisfaction when she arched her back, pressing her chest further into his grasp. They were both panting as her hands raced to the front of his jeans, her trembling fingers fumbling with the buckle of his belt, and his were sliding down to cup her behind through the spandex of her black leggings. She was seconds from freeing him from the confines of his denim jeans and he from sliding his hands beneath the waistband of those tight leggings and finding out just how hot she truly was for him when they heard the slamming of a door and running feet on the hardwood on the second level. They broke apart as quickly as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice-cold water atop them.

"Everything, Ray. Everything that I want but can't have…" Deacon he said, his voice gruff with lust as he climbed off of her and stood, pulling her to her feet with him. She opened her mouth to say something even as they both hurried to right their clothing and get a hold of themselves, but wasn't given as the chance as Maddie bounded down the stairs and right over to them, fast as lightning.

She had a bright look in her eyes and was grinning ear-to-ear. "Did you guys see?" she asked, nearly vibrating with excitement. "The rain stopped. The storm's over! Isn't that awesome?!" she announced, running towards the window to pull back the shade and show them.

As Maddie grinned out the window, they looked at each other and Deacon gave her a bittersweet smile. "And that's our cue. It's back to the real world, Ray…" he said. "Back to the real world…"

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**A/N: Okay, so before you all hate me for this crazy sexually frustrating cliff-hanger, please know that there's plenty more in store for Deacon and Rayna from here on out (the story's not over just 'cause the storm's over)…I promise I won't disappoint…so stay tuned and please keep reading… :) :)**


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